Props

The prop department on Guardians has a team of 130 technicians, 90 of which are manufacturing, with 16 people working on making weapons alone. It’s the most challenging of any of the Marvel productions because, again, almost none of the props that appear in the film look like they are from Earth.

Quill’s blasters look kinda like the phasers designed for JJ Abrams’ Star Trek, on steroids.

Quill’s Sony Walkman is introduced in a flashback to his 1980s childhood. The prop department bought the only 16 of this specific Sony Walkman that were listed on eBay over a 6 month period, and only 3 of the 16 actually worked.

We spotted other 1980’s props in the prop department, including an Atari 2600, a Simon, an Alf lunch box, and a Trapper Keeper notebook.

Quill also has an Hadronic forcer built by Rocket which he uses in the finale of the film. It’s almost like an atomic bomb going off, but in a small controlled area. It starts off worn as a backpack, flips around to the wearer’s front and expands out like an accordion. There are two handle grips to shoot. They went over the projected budget on this prop by about a third. They have made eight full ones, and eight backpack versions. Some lightweight, some practical and some stunt versions.

Rocket Raccoon’s gun was mostly designed in the computer, printed using a 3d printer, and the 3d printed pieces were plated with metal. They created the gun as a lighting photo reference on set. The gun is holstered on his back and when he pulls it off his back it extends out to be even bigger than himself.

The prop department also worked with set decoration on a 21 foot-long alien gambling table, which features a miniature greyhound track on which miniature animals race, and roulette wheels that let the characters bet on the track. A lot of movement is involved, and steam and fire effects are built in.

Gamora has a dagger which extends out into a sword.

Other Bits

Pratt said that he didn’t have much room for improv in this film. He tries sometimes because he can’t help it, and some of that stuff might make it in, but he knows it’s not that type of film. There is room for it in some of the scenes, but not a lot. Chris Pratt says he collaborated with James Gunn on the “I am Star Lord” / “Who?” moment. Apparently that moment wasn’t originally in the script. We will find out why he is called Star Lord in the movie.

Bautista would love to see the Guardians mix it up with the other Marvel superheroes in future films. He says he’s heard the same rumors we’ve all had, and is praying that they’re true.

Dave Bautista was freaking out about the fact that they’re going to be making a Drax Lego minifig. He’s already had action figures and video games when he was a WWE wrestler, but this is new for him: